Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis Research Articles

‘The land of your fathers lieth in ruins’: A multimodal critical discourse analysis of Nigeria’s 2023 pre- election crises-related internet memes

This paper examines political protest in 40 purposively sampled internet memes circulated among Nigerian Facebook and WhatsApp users during the socio-political crises that engulfed the country ahead of the 2023 general elections. It explores the thematic preoccupation as well as the representation of participants and processes in the memes. Data were subjected to qualitative anaysis, and examined from the perspectives of multimodal and critical discourse analysis. The analysis reveals that the memes are used to protest cash crunch, fuel scarcity, socio-political unease and other government’s anti-people policies with their attendant effects. The memes are circulated to instantiate a negative representation of the Nigerian government and resist perceived anti-people ideology of the government.

Beyond victim and hero representations? A comparative analysis of UNHCR’s Instagram communication strategies for the Syrian and Ukrainian crises

Abstract The Ukrainian crisis has received substantial Global Northern policy support and favourable news coverage, contrasting sharply with Global Southern crises. Nevertheless, refugee organizations can influence public perceptions through social media. This study comparatively analyses UNHCR’s Instagram communication strategies for the Ukrainian and Syrian crises (2022–2023). Applying a multimodal critical discourse analysis on UNHCR’s Instagram posts (N = 90), we discern interacting humanitarian and post-humanitarian appeals, involving inter- and intra-group hierarchies of deservingness, expanding research on humanitarian communication. While UNHCR mainly represents forcibly displaced Ukrainians as victims and focuses on ‘ideal victims’, it mostly portrays forcibly displaced Syrians as empowered individuals, likely due to context-specific differences and partially countering news and policy narratives. Both humanitarian representations often intersect with post-humanitarian strategies, facilitated by Instagram affordances. This study thus contributes to the literature on humanitarian communication with comparative crisis-specific and platform-specific insights and causes. Moreover, it nuances the often-assumed importance of post-humanitarian imageries on social media.

“Let’s talk divorce”: a multimodal critical discourse analysis of Oduduwa secessionist discourse

Abstract This study explores ideological representations in the online images of the Oduduwa secessionist movement in Nigeria from a multimodal critical discourse analytical framework. The data, which comprise selected internet images obtained from the Facebook and Twitter accounts of the group, were qualitatively analyzed. The findings reveal that the images are ideologically designed to resist the Nigerian nation, call for the Yoruba nation, signal membership polarization, construct an Oduduwa national identity, construct the betrayal of the Yoruba nation, accentuate violence in Nigeria, and delegitimize the Nigerian nation. We argue that these discursive strategies are used to project resistance as well as radical and secessionist ideologies, which appear to be typical of secessionist organizations around the world. Additionally, this article sheds light on the paramount significance of ethnic identity in the organizational dynamics of resistance groups operating within the Nigerian context.

A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of Lingnan Cultural Promotional Videos on Social Media

In recent years, more and more directors of culture and tourism have taken part in the promotion of local cultural tourism resources by cross-dressing, talent shows, and pushing their limits on self-media platforms. This study investigates short videos of Lingnan culture promoted by directors general and deputy directors general of the Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports Bureau of counties and cities in Guangdong Province on social media by the method of multimodal critical discourse analysis. The analysis of 33 videos shows that Lingnan culture is a domineering and confident culture, historical culture, graceful and elegant culture, and vibrant and active culture. Domineering and confident culture is embedded in the utterances and behaviors of the directors general or deputy directors general in the video. Historical culture is realized through the conversation with historical figures through time travel. Graceful and elegant culture is constructed in the depiction of sceneries and the depiction of characters’ manners. Vibrant and active culture is represented in the depiction of the characters’ actional process and analytical process.

Quoting and well-being: researching social media posts of two mental health campaigns in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Residents in Hong Kong have recently faced more severe mental health challenges due to the 2019 social unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic, among other social, economic and political issues. The situation has given rise to more local public mental health campaigns which mobilise different linguistic, cultural and discursive resources. This article critically examines a common type of social media discourse by two public mental health campaigns in Hong Kong which respectively adopt Chinese and English as the main language. Through a comprehensive, critical multimodal discourse analysis, it illustrates how this type of discourse (1) draws attention to multiple dimensions of mental well-being beyond mental illness/disorder, (2) strategically re-appropriates words and voices from different individuals, cultures and domains and (3) tacitly reinforces neoliberal and Confucianist ideologies through public mental health communication. The article ends with a discussion that can deepen our critical understanding of public mental health communication in contexts featuring digitalisation and linguistic and cultural diversity.

Motorcycles, minarets, and mullahs: a multimodal critical discourse analysis on Pakistan’s journey to rebrand Islam

Motorcycles, minarets, and mullahs: a multimodal critical discourse analysis on Pakistan’s journey to rebrand Islam

Colourism and indigeneity: the portrayal of Tuareg Amazighs in EFL textbooks in Algeria

ABSTRACT There are quite a few studies that adopted a critical perspective to the analysis of the narrative of standardized school textbooks and their impact in the process of ‘the interpellation of individuals as subjects’. While these studies examined narratives on racial/ethnic identity in different national contexts, both the Global North and the Global South, they all address the way mechanisms of exclusion and inclusion play out to define ‘sense of belonging’ ersus ‘otherness’. In the Maghreb region, studies that depict the representation of Amazighs in school textbooks remain scarce. Therefore, guided by Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis conceptual framework, this study focuses on the textual and visual representation of Algerian Tuareg Amazighs in the textbooks that are currently used in Algerian Middle schools. The findings suggest that the portrayal of the Tuareg Amazigh Sahrawi ethnic group is characterized by the ‘markedness’ of their blackness. This visibility affirms their ‘local Otherness’ in three different ways: deagentialization, folklorization, and disempowerment. Some pedagogical recommendations are suggested to foster inclusive and equitable language learning materials and spaces.

Neoliberal, trouble-free worlds for an aspirational middle-class in Chinese EFL publications: A multimodal critical discourse analysis

For most English language learning engagements in expanding circle countries, textbooks play a key role in defining a syllabus and corralling students toward some measure of completion in a course of study. While scholars have shown how English is broadly seen as a prestigious skill, connected with upward socio-economic mobility, less work has been done on the discourses and ideologies carried by the textbooks, even though this is a billion-dollar-a-year industry with titles selling in the millions. Research clearly raises the need for further investigations of the discourses and world views that they carry as they appear in different territories. In this paper, using Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis, we analyze a corpus of texts books produced domestically within China. In China, English language learning has become a fundamental part of the aspirations of the emerging middle classes, who also tend to consume Western-style products and increasingly take on more individualistic Western-style values. Analysis shows that these textbooks carry language learning activities which combine a gloss of signifiers of more local, cultural ideas embedded in a privileged world inhabited by an aspirational, international middle-class.

EXPLORING THE COMPLEX NARRATIVES OF TOXIC MASCULINITY ON THE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT @Thegentlemanrising

This research delves into the intricate narratives surrounding toxic masculinity through a Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of content on the Instagram account Thegentlemanrising. The study investigates how ideas of toxic masculinity are represented in both visual and textual elements, specifically in photos and expressions shared on the platform. Thegentlemanrising actively communicates messages aimed at encouraging the younger generation to embrace masculinity, emphasizing positive attributes while avoiding toxic traits. The content consists of motivational quotes fostering a healthy masculine identity, often accompanied by images of individuals embodying positive masculine characteristics. This study positions Thegentlemanrising as an initiative to balance and juxtapose the concept of masculinity, promoting positive ideals and steering clear of toxic behaviors. The findings contribute to our understanding of how social media platforms can play a role in shaping discussions around masculinity and influencing perceptions among the audience, particularly the younger generation.

The potential of eye tracking data to strengthen CDA’ explanatory power: the case of multimodal critical discourse analysis of advertising persuasion

ABSTRACT Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) as a sub-discipline of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) emerged from the availability of social semiotic frameworks describing multimodal meaning making. However, weaknesses of these frameworks have raised concerns and prompted recent methodological reflections in MCDA. Inspired by these reflections, this paper critically assesses MCDA research on advertising persuasion and identifies a lack of attention in studies to account for the social and ideological impact of advertising. This shortcoming is argued to be attributable to the weak empirical grounding of social semiotic frameworks which in turn is rooted in a ‘discursive gap’ (Bateman, 2019, p. 300) in multimodality as a discipline. The authors then propose methodological solutions involving eye tracking experiments and higher order data analytics which can strengthen the empirical basis of theoretical assumptions made in MCDA research on advertising. Drawing on methodological guidance for empirical multimodal research, the authors discuss specific issues in realizing this proposal, focusing on a strategy addressing operationalization challenges in experimental design and the affordance of a data cluster algorithm that calculates the common viewing path of a group of viewers.

Deconstructing gender stereotypes in standardized English language school textbooks in Algeria: Implications for equitable instructional materials

The pressing need to promote gender equality in today’s globalized society is underscored in Sustainable Development Goals and juxtaposed with the goal of cultivating global citizenship. Despite these efforts, mainstream post-colonial discourse on Maghrebi women categorizes them as less citizens neglecting ‘the complexity’ of their lives and experiences. The scarcity of research that depicts Algerian women’s experiences along with the treatment of the topic of gender as ‘taboo’ restricted opportunities on researching this important category of society. While there are numerous studies conducted in the Algerian context on female’s stereotypical depiction and invisibility in school textbooks, the discussion of the topic remains ahistorical. It relegates the status of women as ‘the oppressed’ which runs the risk of reproducing colonial epistemologies. Guided by Goffman’s gender stereotype theory and Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis conceptual framework, the paper draws on data collected from four standardized English language school textbooks that are currently used in Algeria. The textbooks content affirms the ‘subaltern’ categorization of Algerian women through emphasizing their deagentialization, dependence, and disempowerment. These findings have implications for gender equity in Algeria, the Maghreb, and the broader North Africa contexts.

Not your ordinary drone: odes to the Bayraktar in the Russia–Ukraine war

Abstract ‘Bayraktar’, a pop/rap song written by a Ukrainian soldier following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, went viral, spawning various covers, from electronic dance music to hardcore punk. I analyse this digital archive of 19 ‘Bayraktar’ songs, including five that share only the title with Taras Borovok's paradigmatic song, and contextualise it within the broader historical and decolonial frameworks of Ukrainian resistance music, including the protest music of the Orange Revolution and the Euromaidan demonstrations, and the anti-war music produced during the Donbas war and in the first six months of the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war. I apply the method of multimodal critical discourse analysis to highlight the ways that sound, image (videos and stills) and text (lyrics and verbal descriptions on YouTube) forge nationalist and global protest rhetorics, and also function pragmatically to raise awareness, fundraise for the armed forces and humanitarian efforts, and boost morale in Ukraine and abroad.

The Building Blocks of Language and Creativity: A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of Toy Advertisements

This research aims to explore the verbal and visual resources and cultural aspects used in online toy advertisements. The data comprises 142 advertisements sourced from the official international Lego Facebook page. Three analytical frameworks were employed in the study. First, Halliday’s (1994) systemic functional linguistics was used to analyze verbal resources. Second, Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) social semiotics was used to examine visual resources. Third, Hofstede et al.’s (2010) cultural dimensions were applied to the aspects of culture. The investigation of verbal resources reveals three main ideational metafunctions: material, relational, and mental. Also, declarative mood and unmarked topical themes dominantly occurred in the clauses. For the visual analysis, the advertisements tend to use conceptual symbolic images with vibrant and contrasting colors to make the brand memorable and convey positive values. The positions of participants (RP) also reveal the significance of the brand. There is interconnectedness between visual resources and verbal resources for the advertisements to be cohesive. Remarkably, all six cultural dimensions were found aligned with the American cultural aspects, except for masculinity and long-term orientation. This suggests Lego's commitment to promoting equality, unity, and the attempt to construct more effective worldwide marketing.

How “the left” meme: Analyzing taboo in the Internet memes of r/DankLeft

This article explores how “the left” meme and the character and emotional reception of taboo-breaking therein via the case of r/DankLeft—a USA-centric Marxist, Anarchist, and Democratic Socialist Internet meme community. It asks: what themes do popular r/DankLeft Internet memes relate to, how does taboo feature within popular r/DankLeft Internet memes, and can any differences in the ways in which taboo-related r/DankLeft Internet memes are received be discerned. In turn, it carries out a thematic analysis of 366 popular memes, a multimodal critical discourse analysis of 41 taboo-related popular memes, and a comparative sentiment analysis of the comments these and other memes have received in r/DankLeft. The article finds that popular memes in r/DankLeft primarily relate to perceived threats to its community of users. It also shows that taboo-breaking does feature in r/DankLeft memes and that when it does correlative patterns emerge in terms of popularity and emotional reception.

Foreign Movies and TV Dramas as the Source of Political Argot in an Authoritarian Context: Memes and Creative Resistance in Chinese Social Media

ABSTRACT In the Web 2.0 era, memes have emerged as playful and versatile forms of communication in the daily interactions of social media users. In countries that embrace digital authoritarianism, memes have been deployed as a vehicle of political communication under the online surveillance system. Based on long-term observation of Chinese cyberspace, the author adopts a deep China approach and conducts multimodal critical discourse analysis (MCDA) of a series of political memes which poach transnational TV series and movie scenarios or characters. The remix of symbols from foreign TV dramas and movies with indigenous Chinese symbols devotes to three fundamental dimensions of meaning-making strategies: direct captures, reproduction of the original scene, and the reworking of specific elements. By producing, deploying, and proliferating ironic political memes, Chinese netizens have the capacity to engage in innovative discursive guerrilla wars under the rapidly evolving landscape of surveillance.

Cringe humor in Egyptian TokTok: multimodal critical discourse analysis of selected comic strips

Abstract After the January 2011 revolution, Egyptian artists had the opportunity to express their ideas more openly. One of the major productions that started in 2011 in Egypt was TokTok, a comic magazine for adults. During the period of 2011–2015, TokTok issued fifteen issues that incorporated a collection of comics and comic strips created by different Egyptian artists. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether cringe humor has been an integral part of the drawings and stories presented in TokTok and how this type of humor reflected the socio-cultural and political scene in Egypt during that period. For this paper, Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (2006. Reading images: The grammar of visual design. Routledge) model of multimodal analysis was applied to selected comics from the fifteen issues of TokTok to investigate possible elements of cringe humor as depicted in this Egyptian graphic magazine. Major results show that elements of cringe humor are not evident in all analyzed comics.

Humans and Farm Animals in Documentary Film Narratives: A Romantic Perspective on the Problem of Capitalist Meat Production

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine the role of Romantic notions in understanding contemporary human–animal relations. I examined how three documentaries dealing with the problem of farm-animal exploitation construct the relationship between farmers and meat producers on the one hand and farm animals on the other. Using the method of multimodal critical discourse analysis, I examined audiovisual and linguistic levels of documentaries. I argue that documentary narratives have a dual function in exploring these relationships. First, they produce anthropocentric narratives that focus on the farmer’s perspective and their experience of the relationship with farm animals. The anthropocentric narrative legitimizes the notions of traditional forms of sustainable agriculture in which animals graze freely, and a relationship of trust exists between farm animals and farmers. In this narrative, farm animals are portrayed as anthropomorphized and thus equal to humans. Ideologically, it follows the premodern idea of pastoralism. The second narrative is biocentric in that it focuses primarily on animals. This narrative consists of a critique of the exploitation of farm animals in large, industrialized fattening farms and slaughterhouses. I argue that the origins of both narratives lie in Romantic notions about the relationship between humans and animals. Ultimately, both narratives propagate a Romantic return to preindustrial pastoralism, advocating a harmonious coexistence of land, animals, and people, and rejecting industrial, mechanical, and technological forms of farm animal husbandry. I conclude by asking how Romantic ideas contest late capitalist forms of commodification of animals and what the limits of these ideas are in eliminating the exploitation of farm animals.

Humanitarian discourse as racism disclaimer

Abstract Roma communities remain Europe’s most marginalized and disadvantaged population, facing increasing discrimination, especially after the 2015 refugee crisis. European media often portrays them as criminals or anti-social, furthering misunderstanding and social exclusion. This article examines Swedish news media’s representation of Roma, which, at a surface level, appears much less negative. Using Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis, we analyze two Swedish newspapers’ coverage of the controversial law which sought to criminalize begging, which targeted Eastern European Roma migrants. Our findings reveal that ‘Swedish exceptionalism’–a discourse of human rights, equality, colorblindness, characterized by limited racial literacy–serves to obscure and act as a disclaimer for anti-Roma sentiment and government actions which in fact resemble those criticized in other EU countries.

#GaysForTrump

Abstract This article presents a multimodal critical discourse analysis of #GaysForTrump on Twitter as a discursive formation within Trumpism with distinct subject positions connected to specific acts of identification, libidinal investments, and a homonationalist allegiance to the United States, constructed as a homotopia for cisgender, white gay men. Trumpism is a political formation with its own discursive and structural dynamics that we argue have bred a specific strain of homonationalism worth unpacking in its specificity. Our main objective was to understand how identifying as gay was articulated as commensurate with Donald Trump’s particular brand of transgressive and masculinist white nationalism. We identified three overarching discursive strategies: the appropriation of the “coming out” narrative to validate the #GaysForTrump victimization experience; the construction of conservative gay masculinity as desirable; and the articulation of a sexual geopolitics that legitimates the extreme xenophobia of Trumpism.

1955 Multimodal critical discourse analysis of current representations of hearing loss in the UK news media

Abstract Introduction Hearing loss (HL) affects 12 million UK adults, including 70% of those aged over 70 years. It is associated with social isolation, anxiety, and depression. Furthermore, HL in midlife is the largest modifiable risk factor for dementia. However, many individuals delay or avoid treatment. This may be due to limited understanding of HL amongst the public, and the considerable stigma surrounding HL and hearing aids. The media play a crucial role in shaping public perceptions of age-related conditions. Therefore, this study investigated representations of HL in UK newspapers, especially representations of the relationship between HL and mental health. Method Using Nexis (a news database), 7173 newspaper articles featuring HL between May 2022-May 2023 were retrieved. Following screening, 20 articles were analysed using multimodal critical discourse analysis. This qualitative approach regards communicative choices (here, images and text) as able to both reflect and shape society, including propagating or challenging stigma. A Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) panel contributed to study design and data interpretation. Results Most articles featured young adults with HL, particularly celebrities. Whilst this could challenge the stereotype that HL only affects older adults, it could also increase the invisibility of older adults in the media. Many articles contained inspirational stories, which may help reduce the stigma of HL. However, some people with HL do not want to be portrayed differently to other people. Some articles discussed HL and mental health, especially its association with dementia, loneliness, and depression. PPI contributors indicated that newspapers should provide diverse HL representations and should help improve public awareness of this condition, especially its impact on mental health. Discussion This research has important implications for clinicians, researchers, charities, the media, and all those who communicate with the public about HL. Future research should investigate HL representations in other media, particularly social media.